A variety of transfer printing processes have been described in the prior art and in commercially available products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,602 of Stuart and 4,685,984 of Powers et al, both describe processes for transferring images from a paper sheet to another sheet which may, for instance be a fabric.
The Stuart patent describes a composite sheet which incorporates a paper carrier sheet with a transparent, thermoplastic sheet, and having an image retaining, pressure sensitive adhesive layer. A release layer on the adhesive permits a paper protective layer to be adhered until time to use the sheet. In use, the composite sheet is placed against a printed image on paper, and the pressure sensitive adhesive holds the image while the original paper backing is dissolved away by water. A source of heat, such as an iron, is used to cause a melting of the thermoplastic layer whereby the plastic, with the adhesive and the image are bonded to a fabric such as a shirt. Then, the paper carrier is removed.
The Powers patent teaches another image transfer process for transferring images from paper to fabric, but utilizes a different transfer medium. This process uses a water impervious, heat-resistant plastic support layer which has a high release coating, and which supports a contact adhesive, a thermoplastic layer and a protective layer. The sheet is placed against a sheet of paper bearing the image to be transferred, and the adhesive holds the image bearing paper to the transfer medium.
Next, the image carrying sheet is placed in a water wash to weaken and disintegrate the paper carrier, leaving the image adhered to the plastic carrier layer. This carrier is then placed against the fabric, and heat and pressure are applied to fuse the plastic and bond the image to the fabric, i.e. T-shirt. This process seems to depend heavily on differential release coatings, and the end product also includes a thermoplastic layer which serves as the transfer layer.
Another prior image transfer technique is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,526 to Biegen. This patent uses a contact, or pressure sensitive adhesive on a release sheet to pick up an image from a paper sheet. Thereafter, the paper sheet is dissolved with water, leaving the image adhered to the adhesive on the release sheet. Then, a solvent is used to enable the adhesive to be transferred from the release sheet to the desired surface.
These prior techniques utilize different transfer materials to remove an image from a source sheet onto a transfer layer, followed by the bonding of the transfer layer to the fabric. The transfer layer simply remains a part of the final product, albeit in a modified form.
One difficulty with these prior art techniques, is that the finally produced layer, after fusion, comprises a durable, stiff, shiny, rubbery protective covering for, or containing, the image on the fabric. While this is suitable, and indeed often desirable for an image which is to be only seen, and which is used to decorate T-shirts and must therefor withstand laundering, the plastic coating or layer makes the fabric very difficult or impossible to sew. For sewing machines, the presser foot tends to stick to the coating and not slide readily across the fabric, as it must.
Thus, the decorative possibilities are limited, essentially to printed matter, which most often is simply black and white in these processes. For this reason, these techniques are limited primarily to T-shirt ornamentation.
Techniques such as those described in these prior patents have been commercially available for some time under the trademarks "Transfer Magic" and "Fabulon". These commercially available products suggest the use of the transfer media with printed material or with photocopies of photographs, printed material or the like. Thus, it is at least theoretically possible to produce a color image transfer using a color photocopy. In practice, however, such color photocopies are not readily available as are the standard office type of plain paper copiers.
A further drawback of the prior techniques is the composite nature of the transfer sheets used with the processes. For example, the differential release coatings, the various polymer layers, the removable carrier layers, all contribute to making such products more expensive.
The present invention seeks to provide a process by which a good reproduction of an image may be produced on a fabric. The invention provides a further feature in that the fabric with the image according to the invention may be easily further ornamented by hobbyists or craftpersons by sewing, coloring, dyeing or even multiple printing. As used herein, the term sewing is intended to mean any of a variety of needlework techniques resembling sewing, as are commonly used for ornamental stitchery such as quilting, needlepoint, crewel, embroidery or the like.
In the past, a variety of fabrics for use in such stitchery techniques have been available with a design printed thereon, and the craftsperson would purchase the basic fabric and necessary thread, and proceed to perform the stitchery on the design or pattern printed on the fabric. When finished, the preprinted design was usually not visible as it was covered by the stitchery. However, the printed pattern was transformed into a multicolored reproduction of the printed pattern.
According to the present invention, once an image has been transferred onto a piece of fabric by the process, the user is able to perform conventional ornamentation techniques to embellish the image as desired.
Thus, a great advantage of the present invention is that the craftsperson may produce virtually any image on the fabric and transform that image into a multicolored replica of the original. For example, old family photographs may serve as the basis for, and be reproduced on pillow covers or pillows, using the present invention. Similarly, the invention may be used to produce articles of clothing such as scarves, blouses, or bed linens, or a great variety of other such ornamented produced. In each case, the finished product has a finish which is virtually the same as the starting fabric, rather than a glossy, rubbery coating.
Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved image transfer process by which a desired image may be transferred from a source to a fabric.
Another object of the invention is to provide a process for reproducing an image on fabric such that the fabric may be further worked by sewing or similar stitchery techniques for ornamentation.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a greatly simplified process for transferring images from paper to cloth or similar fabrics.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an image transfer process which does not coat the surface of the receiving fabric, thereby leaving the surface with its own properties.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an image transfer process which may be used with fine fabrics such as silk, suede, nylon, or the like, and keep the same feel of such fabrics.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an image transfer process for tee shirts which will withstand repeated washings.